Steam-pipe connection for articulated locomotives



R. J. OFFUTT Nov. 24, 1931.

STEAM PIPE CONNECTION FOR ARTICULATED LOCOMOTIVES 192'? 2 Sheets-Sheet 1Filed Nov. 14,

NOV. 24, 1931. R, QFFUTT 1,833,299

STEAM PIPE CONNECTION FOR ARTICULATED LOCOMOTIVES Filed NOV. 14, 1927 2Sheets-Sheet 2 e Q w v? R dig (,5? r

. nEeInALnJ. orrurnor .KnYsER, wnsn Patented Nov. 24, 1931 UNITEDSTATES" ooItronA'rIomoF NEW'jYO BIQ N. Y., con-eonnrron onavnw YORKSTEAM-PIPE oolvnnorron non ART'ICULATED' LOCQMOTIVES Application fi ledNovember 14, 1927. Serial Nof 232,993;

My invention relates to locomotive steam engines of the articulatedtype, in which one set of driving wheels and their j ournal-frameconstitute a pilot truck on whichone setof cylinders and-their usualconnections to driv- 111;; wheels are mounted, the said pilot truckbeing laterally movable in relation to the engine boiler. H l

In such locomotive engines the steam-pipe," be it supplyor exhaust,connectingthe pilot truck cylinders tothe boiler at the smoke:

box end is so articulatelyconstructed. as to adapt itself to therelative alterations of position between the forward end ofthe boilerand the cylinders, and is, virtually, and is usually termed, flexible,although no portion of the steam connection is,strictlyspeaking,

flexible. Two types of suchadaptable or flexible steam connections havebeen employed,"

at one having a packed ball-joint connection at each end, with atelescoping joint in the horizontal reach-member of the connection,another with'a hanger pipe section and horizon f tal reach section,articulated by a packed balljoint between the terminal ball-joints. TheI steam-pipes, whether feed or exhaust, which serve the forwardcylinders on the pilot track are necessarily adaptable to changes inpositional relationship as between-the pilot truck with the cylindersattached to its frame, and

the boiler, its frame, and adjuncts such as the,

rear cylinders and steam chest which are attached to the main frame ofthe locomotive.

Either form, by its flexibility as a whole, ac-

commodates itself to the relative movements between the main frame ofthe locomotive and the pilot truck cylinders. "Another exam- I ple ofafiexible, articulated and extensible,-

V steam connection is furnished by the so-called receiver steam-pipe,extending forward from the boiler frame cylinder system to the steamchest of the pilot truck frame cylinder system, wherein the pipeis'ball-j ointed to the rear cylinder system, rigidly connected to theforwar'd cylinder system, and'provided with a sliding sleeve points ofattachment;

The weight of such steam-pipe connections,

and the'frequent movements .thereofas the locomotive engine runs, andthe reactive.

gine passes from a joint between those two VIRGINIA, Assrenon. 'IOJoHN's-i mnvnnn] thrustsoccasioned'by thepressure pas sage ofsteam-contribute to put an undesir able burden on the ball jo'intpackings when the latter have to sustain an the occasioned stresses,and-have been observed to shorten the useful life of such packingsconsiderably.

Mylinvention has for its principalob-jects the reliefofthese"ball-jointpackings from severe wearingconditions, and-the.automatic 7 I restoration of I the flexible" steam connection:

as a Whole to approximatelytrue' central and Vertical alignment when thelocomotive ens:

ofrailway tra'cln v r v In thev drawln'gs hereto: annexed, whichllustrate my invention, I V I z. l t Fig. 1 shows,'in'long'itudinalzelevation, a

tion;--. I I

Fig. 2, a; rear elevation ofthe rear "or boiler;

endofthesame; V a Fig-.3, afront lele ation of theqcylinder steam-pipeconnection; a horizontal forward-C v 1y reachingisection, 3, of'the sameconneccurve to astraight sectionv r telescope-j one type of flexiblesteam 'connec-- and'3. the associated parts Y tion; suitablysteam-packed telescoping joint, 4, 'in the saidfhorizontal forwardly;reaching portion 3* the forward, elbow, 5,;[of

the said steam connection; flange casting, 23. forming "part of thesteam chestof the. cylinders .(whicliare mounted upon the for- 7 ward orpilottruckof thearticul'atedloco- 1 motive) ;.thestearn-packedball-joint,6, with whichtheelbow section 2 is articulated to thedistributorof the boiler; the distributor D;

stud, 8a, with preferably a rounded end, set

the ball-joint, 7, with which the. elbow sec-. ,tion 5 is articulated tothe steam chest casting 23; a bearing leg, 8, formed-integrally" V withor secured to the elbow 2;:fabearing inthe lug 8; a yoke, 9, providedwith a bearing socket plate 911 which. engages with the .pin 8a,"perforated horizontal extensions,

10., of the yoke 9; hook-ended hangers, 11,

justable abutments Lion the lowerends of much ofthe burden whichotherwise and hangers 11.

The adjustable abutments 14 being set up,

compress the springs 13 against the hangerextensions 10 so that the loadat and stresses on the rearend of thesteam pipe connectionare sustainedthereby yieldingly, .and the ball-jointb with its packing is relieved ofheretofore has. been borne thereby. v V

The above-described spring-suspension of the boiler end ofthe saidflexible steam connection performs also the function of. restoring saidsteam. connection to a substanti'ally centered" alignment when: thelocomotive "passes from a curved to a straightsection of and springrelieving attachment and alignment restoring device at the forward endalso and this is illustrated in Figs. 1 and 3. .Parts' constituting saiddevice are as follows A lug 15, formed on or secured to the upp'er partof the'elbow 5, and a" bearing pin. '15a,.mounted"on the said lug; ayoke-bar 16 i from a curveto'a straight section of track, 5

eye-bolts18which constitute studs, screwtrack ,for when the locomotiveis :running on" a: curve, and the-flexible vconnection both swivels androcks upon the ball-joint 6, the

angular relationship. of the hangers and. their support, and theresultant of'the com pressive 'stressesof the springs 13 tends "toandwill restore the steam-pipe to its normal." 7 position asshown in thedrawings when the i5? locomotive passes to a straighta'section of track.

, 1 "The spring suspension of the boiler end of the steam-pipeconnection, above described,

will perform the stated functions withsub- 'stanti'al satisfactorinesseven. though the steam chest end of the said connection be left asheretofore, and without any supplementary adjuncts to the forward: elbow5 and to ball-joint connection 7. It is, however, considered desirableto provide a yoke provided with a socket plate 164; (which cooperateswith the bearingpin 15a) holding rods hooked at their lower ends andpass ing looselythrough holes in the yoke-bar 16;

anchored at the casting 23; spring buflers-19 held compressed betweenthe nut-adjustable abutmentsQO compressionsprings2l surrounding theupper ends of the holding-' down'rodsl7- and held compressed between theupperends of'the yoke-bar l6 andthe nut-adjustable abutments 22. V i Theconfinement'of-the springs 21 under 1 nuts, on the hooks '32.

whenever this alignment,afterfhavingbeen disturbed "by therelativemovement of the locomotive boiler and the pilottruck, is free tobe resumed when the running locomotive engine returns to a straightsection of track after having rounded a curve. t

A mode of application of spring suspension I to the boiler 'endofthe-*3-b'all-j oint type of V flexible steam connection is illustratedin Figs. 4- and 5. wherein the cooperatingparts are as follows: thev'ertlcal hang ngisectlon,1

24, of the steam connection; the elbowed, for

wardly-reaching, horizontalsteam pipe con-'3 Y nection member 25 theball-joint connection; 26 with the steam distributor. :D;' the balljoint, connection, 27, between the :pipe-mem:

9 0 bers'24 and 25 (the ball-joint connection with. t

the cylinder system isnot here-shown); lugs,

V 28, formed on or otherwise. secured (asby;

electric welding) to the pipe-member 25 {eye bolts, 29, secured inthsmoke-box end of the; locomotiveboiler; the eyes, 30,of, said'bolts;

springs, 31, hooked into' the eyes, 30; hooks, Y

32, with which the lower endsof the springs 31 engage and which passthrough holes provided forthe purpose in lugs 28, adjusting A suitablelifting tension of the'springs having been. produced by means of, the adju sting: nuts 33,:the weight loadand reac-i' tion-shocksotherwise'borneentirely by the packing in the ball-joint '26, are relieved.Whenever-the positional relationship of the locomotive boiler with thepilottruck dis-w places the flexible steam connection from its 5 normal,vertical and horizontalalignment;

the spring hangers '31 are so angularly related with their support as tobe differentially stressedfin such manner that the flexible steam-pipe.connection will he thereby ie- I stored to its normal verticaland-horizontalalignment as soon asthe boiler and pilotv truck resumetheir alignment "on running I claim 1 The combinatiomiwithla flexibleconnection of '-an articulated locomotive -.en-

gine, of elastic stress-relievingmeans applied at a ball-joint packingend thereof to restore 1.

gine, of elastic stress-relieving suspension-g "meansappliedat aball-jointpacking end thereofto restore the connection to its normalcondition. y

3. The combination, with a flexible steam connection of an articulatedlocomotive engine, of elastic, pivotally mounted stress-relieving meansapplied at a ball-joint packing gine, of elastic stress-relieving meansapplied at either side of a ball-joint packing end thereof to restorethe connection to its normal condition.

6. The combination, with a flexible steam' connection of an articulatedlocomotive en glne, of elastlc stress-relieving suspension means appliedat either side of a ball-joint packing end thereof to restore theconnection to its normal condition.

connection of an articulated locomotive engine, of elastic, pivotallymounted stress-relieving means applied at either side of a balljointpacking end thereof to restore the con nect-ion to its normal condition.

8. The combination, with a flexible steam connection of an articulatedlocomotive engine, of elastic, pivotally mounted stress-relievingsuspension means applied at either side of a ball-joint packing endthereof to restorethe connection to its normal condition. 7

9. The combination in an articulated locomotive in which the boileroverhangs a frame on which is mounted .a cylinder structure, of aflexible steam pipe connected at one end to the boiler and at the otherend to the cylinder structure, and springs located on opposite sides ofeach end of the pipe for yieldably holding the ends of the pipe inconnection with the boiler and cylinder structure respectively.

10. The combination in an articulated locomotive in which the boileroverhangs a frame on which is mounted a cylinder structure, of

a flexible steam pipe connected at one endto the boiler and at the otherend to the cylinder 7 structure, and springs located on opposite sidesof each end of the pipe for yieldably holding the ends of the pipe inconnection with the boiler and cylinder structure respectively, thesprings at one end of the pipe being attached to the boiler and thesprings at the other end thereof being attached to the structure.

' 11. The combination in an articulated locomotive in which theboiler-overhangs a frame on which is mounted acylinder structure, of aflexible steam pipe connected at one end to the boiler and at the otherend to the cylinder structure, said pipehaving a vertical sectionat eachend thereof and ahorizontal' section connecting-said vertical sections.and

springs located on opposite sidesof each ver tical section foryieldably' maintaining: the 1 ends of the vertical sections inconnection with the boiler and cylinder structure respec-fl V tively.

' 12;,The combinationlin anarticulated locomotive in' which the boileroverhangs a frame on which is mounted a cylinder structure,of' aflexible steam pipe connected at one endto the boiler and at the otherend to the cylinder structure, said pipehaving a vertical section ateach end thereof and horizontal section connecting said verticalsections and springs located'on opposite sides of each 'v-eriticalsection for yieldably maintaining theends of the vertical sectionsin connection with the boiler and cylinder structure respec tively, thesprings associated with one vertical section being attached to theboileri and the springs associated with, the other vertical 7 ture.

section beingattachedtdthe 'cylinder'}- struc-" 7. The combination, witha flexible steam v motive 'in which the boiler'overhangs a frameon whichis mountedacylinder structure, of-

a' flexible steam pipe connected at one end to the boiler and attheother end to thecylinder structure, said pipe at the end connected tothe boiler including a vertical section, and

yieldabl-e means including a yoke against which the vertical sectionrests and springs secured at one end to said yoke and at the other endto the boiler, said yieldable means.

acting, when the vertical section ofthe pipe 1 is out of its normal suchposition.

14. The combination in an articulated locomotive in which the boileroverhangs a frame on whichis mounted a cylinder structure,'of

a flexible pipe for conducting steam between the boiler and the cylinderstructure, ball and socket connections between the ends ofthe pipe andtheboiler and cylinder structure respectively and yieldable "meansassociated with the ball and socket connections for restoring the pipeto its normal relation to the boiler and cylinder structure when'removedtherefrom.

position, to restore it to I 15. The combination in anarticulatedlocomotive in which the boiler'overhangs a frame on which is .mounted acylinder'structure, of a flexible pipe for conducting steam between theboiler and the cylinder structure, ball and I socket connections betweenthe ends of the pipe and the boiler and cylinder structure respectivelyand yieldable meansassociated with the ball and socket connections forrestoring the pipe to its normal relation to the boiler. and cylinderstructure when removed therefrom, said yieldable means including springseach secured at one end to the pipe and at the othe1',end;to the boilerorthe. cyl

inder structure; i o

16;Ihe combination in an articulated locomotive in which the boileroverhangs aframe on whichiis mounted a cylinder structure, of a flexiblepipe for conducting steam between the boiler and the cylinder structure,a ball and socket connection between the pipe and. the boiler, the pipeat that end terminating m in a vertical section, and yieldable meansassociated with the ball and socket connection for restoring thevertical section of the pipe to a position perpendicular to the boilerwhenremoved therefrom.

17. The combination in an articulated locomotive inwhich the boileroverhangs aframe on which is mounted a cylinder structure, of a flexiblepipe for conducting steam between the boiler and the cylinder structure,a ball and socket: connection between the pipe and the boiler, thepipe;at that end terminating ina vertical section,.and yieldable meansas sociated with the ball and socket connection for, restoring the.vertical section'of'the pipe to a position perpendicular to the boiler"when' removed therefrom, (said. yieldable means including a'yok'euponwhichthe Vertical section rests and'springs connected at oneend tothe yoke and at the othercnd to so the boilerbo a Signed by *me Denver,Colorado, this. thirty-first day of October, 1927;:

1 i REGINALD J OFFUT T.

